Sheriff: Knox County deputies arrest 2 men for stealing copper wire, drugs

KNOX COUNTY, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — Two men face felony charges after Knox County deputies discovered stolen copper wire and suspected methamphetamine at a Mills Creek Road residence on Monday.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Department received multiple complaints over the last few days regarding the theft of copper wire belonging to Windstream and Spectrum in the Stinking Creek area.

According to the sheriff’s department, deputies received tips about individuals involved in the thefts. At 6:51 p.m. on Monday, deputies traveled to a home where 33-year-old Earl Brown and 49-year-old William Collins were staying.

The sheriff’s department says that deputies found metal tubing and burned plastic in the back of a red pickup truck, which had been identified in several tips. After the property owner gave verbal consent to search the property, deputies found blue barrels behind a building containing burned metal piping and plastic conduit used to hold the stolen copper wire.

“He might of took a little copper,” Brown told deputies.

Deputies took both Brown and Collins into custody, according to the sheriff’s department. A search incident to arrest revealed Collins had a clear bag of suspected methamphetamine in a watch pocket.

The men are lodged in the Knox County Detention Center and charged with theft by unlawful taking of $10,000 to $1,000,000 and first-degree criminal mischief. Collins faces an additional charge of first-degree possession of a controlled substance, according to the sheriff’s department.

The investigation is ongoing by the Knox County Sheriff’s Department.